In the Classroom   

This is the longest of the six major Yang-style tai chi movements, taking about 25 minutes to complete. Tai chi is known for developing balance, strength, and flexibility. It is a form of meditation in movement. In this class you will learn the first third of the forms, or about 36 moves, in a workshop environment.

This is the longest of the six major Yang-style tai chi movements, taking about 25 minutes to complete. Tai chi is known for developing balance, strength, and flexibility. It is a form of meditation in movement. In this class we will review the first 36 forms in a workshop environment. Additional forms will be taught as the group is ready.

This is the shortest of the six major Yang-style tai chi movements, taking about six minutes to complete. Tai chi is known for developing balance, strength, and flexibility. It is a form of meditation in movement. In this class you will learn all 24 forms and by the end be able to join other groups wherever you go.

Inner peace is a lifetime journey done with discernment but not judgment. The only requirement is a willingness to be aware of how much one ruminates about the past or tries to predict the future. This happens while missing what is happening in the present time. In this discussion class we will be aware of a possible runaway ego. The ego can be a good thing or a destructive thing. Awareness can end the destructive ego cycle.

This acrylic class is for the absolute beginner as well as more experienced painters. We will follow step-by-step instructions to create our paintings while also learning why and what we are doing. Paintings will be completed over several class sessions. All materials are provided.

In 1932 Aldous Huxley created an imaginary future to examine the benefits and liabilities of living in a eutopia based on peace, prosperity, and stability. Does the quest for happiness conflict with liberty, knowledge, and progress? Join this learning through conversation seminar as we explore a future world order organized according to the alleged principles of Henry Ford. Published 92 years ago, Huxley's masterpiece confronts many of today's national and global issues.

We'll visit museums, art galleries, and studios in the area and talk with curators and artists to learn more about the places and the work. Afterwards, we'll go to coffee houses or restaurants for no-host treats and conversation with group members.

This class is for people who know how to play the basic A to G chords on guitar, although class members may bring other stringed instruments to play, e.g. mandolin, bass, ukulele, banjo, harmonica, or squeeze box. Or sing along without an instrument! Songs and lyrics will be emailed each week, featuring artists like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, The Drifters, and other favorites from the 1950s and 1960s.

This class uses a group study of the book Complete Spanish Step by Step, Premium 2nd Edition, by Barbara Bregstein, beginning with chapter 1.

This class uses a group study of the book Complete Spanish Step by Step, Premium 2nd Edition, by Barbara Bregstein, beginning with chapter 5.

Chico State's tradition of academic excellence goes back more than 130 years. With over 850 faculty members and 13,000 students, the University's teaching and learning community is thriving. Discover the imagination, cutting-edge research, and expertise that flourishes in our own backyard!

Five OLLI members who love collage will share techniques and projects each week. Come and make art!

The purpose of this class is to engage in conversation in Spanish. The instructor will provide a topic from a list generated by participants and a brief instruction on vocabulary and sentence frames which will facilitate discussion. Participants will then converse in multi-level groups. Each class will also include a short pronunciation exercise to help the participants improve their Spanish fluency. Participants should have at least an advanced beginner knowledge of Spanish.

A scintillating review of current themes in the media will be discussed in each class. Class members present a topic, discuss it, then open the floor for discussion and debate. Poetry, literature, scientific discovery, and educational progress are examples of the issues addressed. Special guests are welcome to present.

Do you draw, write novels, knit, paint, collage, hook rugs, embroider, or make any other art or craft? Do you need an impulse to get you going? Instead of doing it alone, come to the OLLI Creation Zone. We will have tables (with plastic sheets covering them to allow for messiness) and chairs set up. You bring yourself, your ideas, and your materials. No instruction, no demands, just a group of people creating in comradery.

This class is about the creative thinking process, how to develop it, and how it applies across a broad spectrum of topics such as invention/innovation, the arts, industry, creative problem solving, repurposing materials, bio-inspired design, and improvisation. Class members will draw on their unique talents, knowledge bases, hobbies, and interests to complete the challenges introduced. The class will be playful and interactive and ranges in subject matter from the silly and fantastical to tackling serious world problems.

Cribbage is a great card game for two people: fast, unpredictable, and portable. Though the game has many rules, this class will take you through all facets of the game, step by step. By the time you have finished this class, you will not only know the game well, but you will also know how to teach the game to others. If you already know the game, come play with us. Been looking for someone to play with? Maybe you will find a new friend and opponent here!

Most women have a variety of casual friends with whom they socialize, yet many women feel they don't have deep emotional closeness with enough of those friends. They long for more intimate friendships where they feel truly known at a deeper, more personal level. This class will explore how to develop deeper meaningful friendships between women, as well as share our own experiences. Topics will include friendship myths, types of friendships, unhealthy friendships, steps in developing meaningful friendships, and mutual sharing and self-disclosure in friendships.

This class is for those who know the basics of Bridge and want to improve their game. Each session begins with a lesson followed by play of hands related to the day's topic with guidance from the instructor.

We will design collages on the covers of blank composition books, then write inside the notebooks about the collage pieces and other art provided for viewing. Composition books will be provided by the instructors.

This class is designed to assist you in planning the transfer of your wealth to a spouse, children, grandchildren, and any other people or organizations you want to benefit from your estate. OLLI sponsors Dana and Tara Campbell will explore the advantages and disadvantages of different methods for wealth transfer to enable you to make better decisions regarding your own estate. Plan on both lecture and discussion as many exciting things can be learned from information and experiences of participants.

Collage is a creative medium accessible to people of all artistic skill levels. We'll explore the world of collage by using different papers and techniques. There is no wrong way to create a collage. It is simply a matter of layering color, texture, and patterns. And it's fun!

Feng shui teaches that your spaces are a reflection of your life. If some part of your life is out of whack, your spaces will indicate that. The motto is: change your spaces, change your life. You'll learn to see where you spend time (home, office, car) from a new perspective and get useful solutions (called "cures") to help shift your spaces. This class shows you that these modifications can help enhance and balance your life.

Everyone can have better balance! Balance improves with practice under safe and friendly conditions. Participants will explore balance while sitting, standing, and moving through space, including walking in all directions. Participants will learn how various factors affect balance (and what to do about it), including muscle strength, flexibility, vision, vestibular sense, proprioception, coordination, and cognition. Come experience the art, science, and joy of re-establishing your body's stability and mobility.

Mobility declines with age, but more so if we're not active. Come enhance your physical and spiritual well-being through exercise. We'll practice balance, strength, and flexibility movements that lead to increased mobility. Each class follows a similar routine that can be done at home, allowing you to look after the health of your joints for many years to come. Please wear comfy clothing. Your body will thank you!

American folk music experienced a commercial revival from the late 1940s through the mid-1960s. Its roots in support of the labor movement, and later embrace of anti-war protest songs, earned many performers the label of "communist pinkos." Other performers, however, cultivated a clean-cut, down-home, all-American image. We will explore the history of this dichotomy, then play and sing the songs known collectively as "folk music." Bring your instruments, your voice, and your curiosity. Leave your inhibitions at home and be prepared to have a good time!

We will explore the subject of human enhancement and consider the social implications of the alterations humans are capable of making to themselves and others. Whether a tattoo, the consumption of a drug designed to boost performance, or the surgical alteration of the body, we have a rapidly advancing ability to alter our biology and, in so doing, to challenge cultural norms and potentially threaten long-established social structures. Is this hubris? Do alterations offer the promise of enhancement or threaten peril? Join the discussion!

Embark on a journey to inner peace with these tranquil yoga sessions. This class is designed to calm the mind and foster a deep connection with your inner self through gentle movements. Participants will engage in exercises performed both seated on the floor and through simple standing postures. This class is open to all, regardless of prior yoga experience. Please bring a yoga mat. While not essential, you're welcome to bring any personal yoga props to enhance your practice.

"Great Decisions" is the Foreign Policy Association's public education program about US foreign policy and global affairs issues. We will cover four of the Foreign Policy Association's topics and add some additional topics that are of interest to the class.

In 1997, Don Miguel Ruiz published The Four Agreements. He writes that we have, mostly unconsciously, agreed to living as what he calls "the domesticated human," leading lives that can be unfulfilling and difficult. The four agreements can create the experience of inner freedom and contentment. In class, we will discuss each agreement and ways to apply them in everyday life. Familiarity with the book is helpful but not necessary. Just come and learn how to live a more wholesome life!

The class will examine common flaws in logic which lead to questionable conclusions: opposites and falsehoods, blame and responsibility, paradoxes, fallacies, emotions, etc. The goal is to become aware of one's own blind spots that are obstacles in the search for truth.

Discuss, plan, and prepare a simple altar in memory and in honor of friends and family you have lost. Some people observe holidays like Day of the Dead and All Souls Day that specifically honor loved ones who have died; for others, the upcoming winter holiday season and dark winter days can be a time to think of those who have died. The altars we build will give us a concrete, personal way to celebrate our departed loved ones with art, photos, and writings.

California Master Gardeners provide educational outreach from University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) offices throughout the state. The mission of the Butte County Master Gardeners is to extend research-based education and technical assistance throughout the non-commercial gardening community and to foster successful gardening practices by helping individuals make informed decisions about plants, pests, and the environment, with an emphasis on sustainability. Join us as we address a wide range of fascinating subjects.

The Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Period (AEP) for Part D prescription drug plans and Part C Medicare Advantage plans begins October 15 and ends December 7. This Medicare FAQ class will offer beneficiaries options for their healthcare needs in the coming year. Passages HICAP Medicare counselors will be on site and ready to perform AEP Part D prescription drug plan comparisons and plan changes for attendees who wish to reevaluate their current plan.

Each week we'll view a feature-length documentary or two shorter films. The films will generally feature a performer or composer, the impact of their environment on their music, and the impact of their music on other musicians and on society. Or the focus might be on a style of music from swing to country, jazz to rock. This is a class for the open-minded and intellectually curious because, paraphrasing Mick Jagger, you might not always hear what you like, but sometimes you just might like what you hear.

Chico is known for its rich biodiversity and parks. Get to know Chico's non-human residents with highlights from four years of weekly wanderings and the research they inspired. Courtship displays, playful otters happily munching, a drinking fountain hawk bath, wildflower blooms, a rare mutant carpenter bee, and more surprises are captured on this photographic journey through parks and surrounding neighborhoods in the heart of Chico.

This workshop is for anyone who has volunteered to help a nonprofit or tried to start a nonprofit themselves, including the delights and dilemmas of service and leadership in the nonprofit context. Content includes nonprofit basics, board member roles and responsibilities, and challenges and opportunities for elders in the context of the nonprofit life cycle. There will also be opportunities to explore specific questions and concerns raised by participants. This class does not provide legal advice.

Reading poetry helps you to know things more fully; it commands your attention; and it can sustain good conversation. In this class, participants select poetry from favorite sources to read aloud with fellow enthusiasts.

Since the 2008 Great Recession the United States has faced three separate, but overlapping, crises: stagnant economic growth, accelerating domestic political polarization, and geopolitical challenges to its post-World War II hegemonic status. This class will examine how the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations have addressed and/or contributed to those crises. The class will conclude with a focus on how those crises are affecting the 2024 presidential election.

Join us as we learn to power the mind. We will discuss topics on ways to love your brain, prevent cognitive decline, and improve your overall mental health. This class will incorporate a few lighthearted and joyful activities, including crafting, mindfulness, and cooking sessions.

This class will educate you about various mortgage loans and how they can be applied to your unique situation. Experts from OLLI sponsor Tri Counties Bank will address Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) and other home mortgages, with an emphasis on dispelling myths surrounding reverse mortgages. Learn about current mortgage rates, loan terms, down payment requirements, mortgage insurance, and closing costs and fees of all kinds. Understanding the difference between various mortgage options can help put you in the driver's seat on your next home sale or purchase. This class does not provide legal advice.

Sing and/or play popular gospel songs. Bring your voice, guitar, violin, cello, harmonica, squeeze box, or other instrument and join a group of people singing and playing for fun. This is not meant to be religious. It's just a place to enjoy great music. Join us!

Sharpen your drawing and watercolor skills as we paint and sketch together on a variety of subjects. The purpose of this class is to provide a supportive community for those who work to keep their journal practice alive. We will share ideas and sometimes our favorite art materials, the ones that make this practice all the more fun. With all the colors of fall available to us as examples, plan on some brilliant pages in your sketchbook.

This class is an introduction to any version of Apple's iPhone. We will cover the basic structure and functions of the iPhone as well as how to navigate your device using your voice and fingers. The class consists of lectures and hands-on exercises. Most importantly, you will learn how and where to find the answer to the all important question, "How do I…?"

This class covers writing and conversation in Spanish. The class will be conducted mostly in Spanish; English may be used for support. Participants will have the opportunity to speak and to write short compositions for review and discussion. The class may have native speakers and professional Spanish educators as guest speakers. There is nothing like having a professional Spanish educator to help learn Spanish conversation.

Spiritual principles help us follow a path to experience life with strength and resilience. These are fundamental truths that are universally accepted and passed on over many years and through many traditions. As suggested in The Eye of the I by David R. Hawkins, MD, PhD, we will talk about some of the following principles: attitude, humility, kindness, giving up guilt, willingness to realize that "truth" is dependent on context, acceptance, and non-attachment.

Located at the corner of Fifth and Salem Streets, the Stansbury Home was built by Dr. Oscar Stansbury, a local physician, in 1883. Owned by the City of Chico since 1976, it is operated by the Stansbury Home Preservation Association as a historic house museum. This tour will include Dr. Stansbury's office, with its display of the tools used in his practice, as well as rooms used by the Stansbury family with original interiors and furnishings intact.

Tap dance involves rhythmic, percussive, and precise movement of the feet while promoting flow and individual style of the entire body. Classes will include warm-up, structured movement phrases that will build in complexity, and creative explorations. All levels are welcome. Good standing balance is recommended.

Want to hear some interesting stories? Each class session will feature someone telling their life story. Students will have the option of being filmed and given a flash drive with the recording as a keepsake. This token of remembrance can be passed onto one's family or friends. A memoir book will be available to students and a list of possible topics to address when giving their talk. Everyone has a story to tell. Come and share yours!

This is one part of a three-term presentation of David Blight's online Yale University class. Four broad themes are closely examined: the crisis of union and disunion in an expanding republic; slavery, race, and emancipation as a national problem, personal experience, and social process; the experience of modern, total war for individuals and society; and the political and social challenges of Reconstruction.

This is a participatory, discussion-based class exploring the hidden assumptions in our language. Does the way we speak influence and manipulate the way we think? Our language is replete with militaristic euphemisms and metaphors, political code words and dog whistles, and hidden assumptions about power, patriarchy, hierarchy, and identity. Many of those words and phrases are so ingrained in our lexicon that we are oblivious to the potentially manipulative power they hold over us and our way of thinking.

Start your Tuesday with music and songs. Join us in a fun, informal sing-along. Bring your voices and/or musical instruments. The operative word is "fun." If you like music, you will like this class. All levels welcome!

This class is an introduction to watercolor painting. We will cover techniques, color blending, color mixing, and brush work. All materials provided.

Join other women spousal caregivers to give and receive support. Talking with others who are experiencing relatable situations can be cathartic and helpful. It can also provide a safe space where stories, tips, and humor make a positive difference.

Learn fun social dances from around the world, including Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Greece, Israel, Scotland, and the United States. Line, circle, and couple dances. No partner required.

Learn to sing or play songs used in world dances. These dances are mostly international folk dance melodies used at local dance club parties. The songs may have rhythms common or uncommon to western music, such as 2/4, 3/4, 7/8, and 9/8 time signatures. Lyrics and music will be provided.

This writer's workshop serves a community of writers interested in sharing their writing and responding to other writers' work. We will focus on fiction, memoir, creative non-fiction, poetry, travel writing, stories for children, and other types of writing. Following a workshop format, this class will be an opportunity for students to receive feedback for their written work and provide meaningful support to fellow writers.

Learn to write a short 10- to 20-minute play. We will cover the basics of playwriting, including format, structure, character, conflict, and dialogue. This is a workshop-style class in which we discuss concepts and techniques, share what we have written, and write short exercises to develop skills. Prompts will be offered to stimulate your ideas. There will be an opportunity for some of the plays to be performed in the annual OLLI Play Festival.